‘I want my daughter to learn the importance of human values’

Come December and the nightmare for parents begins – the whole rigmarole of filling out the school admission process to waiting for a call from any school that their ward has been admitted to can be extremely daunting. But even before the lengthy process of filling out application forms in 20 different schools begins, it is the exercise of finding the best one that suits the parent.

The same was for this family of doctors – Dr Geetika Taneja and her husband Dr Anuj – ENT consultants. Choosing the perfect school for their daughter, Kiara Taneja of class Nursery A was quite the exercise for them.

“While my husband’s doctor friends had said that Apeejay School at Pitampura was a great choice since they lay stress on academics, the whole process of filling out forms for over 20 different schools is a long and strenuous process. But once we got the call from Apeejay it was smooth sailing,” Dr Geetika said.

Excerpts from an interview.

Why did you choose Apeejay?

My husband who is an ENT specialist works with Fortis; several of his colleagues’ kids go to Apeejay School in Pitampura. We were looking for a school that was academically strong for our daughter. My in-laws are doctors too and a school that stresses on studies is important for us. While extracurricular activities play an important role, for us academics is our priority.

Should family and friend recommendations be the sole criterion for parents while choosing a school?

Recommendations from family and friends help a parent to narrow down the list to probably the top 5. But each parent has different priorities for their kids. For some parents, sending their child to a school that emphasizes extracurricular activities is important for others like us, it is academics. It all depends on what one wants for their child.

How was the admission process at Apeejay?

The tough part was filling out the forms online; there were so many of them. We, of course, chose to go to a portal where we could fill out one form for different schools. And then came the waiting. This is the worst part when it comes to admission for your toddler.

The easy part happened when we got a call from Apeejay. From here on the entire process was a breeze. The staff and the teachers were so helpful. It took just a day to complete all the formalities.

What was your impression when you saw the school for the first time?

Strange as it may sound, my in-laws were very keen that my husband and brother-in-law study at the Pitampura branch. But somehow things didn’t fall into place back then. They had seen the school and had told us that the premises are good. More than the infrastructure, what is important is that the school has been there for decades and still growing strong. This means that it has a legacy to uphold.

We too took a tour of the building and saw the grounds and everything we saw impressed us. I didn’t have any complaints.

---

My biggest takeaway is that if my daughter comes back and says that she likes the school and wants to go back, the school is doing a good job

–Dr Geetika Taneja, ENT Consultant

---

Have there been changes in your daughter now that she is going to school?

COVID-19 meant that Kiara never went to preschool/play school. We live in a joint family so she is quite talkative. But as was with everyone, she was homebound the entire time. When she started going to school, she became even more social and active.

But the best part was the four days of orientation that the school had organised. The kids were allowed to come in casuals and interact with other kids and make friends. This helped break the initial ice. Kiara realised that this is the place where she can go and enjoy herself instead of a place where she was being forced to go.

How is the staff?

Her class teacher is Shailja ma’am. My daughter is all praise for her. My interaction with the teacher has been good. Whenever I have a concern and send a text she always replies. My biggest takeaway is that if my daughter comes back and says that she likes the school and wants to go back, the school is doing a good job.

Also, since March a lot of changes have been noticed, she can read three-letter words, and her reading has improved, as has her writing.

A lesson your daughter should learn.

All kids must respect everyone irrespective of what their social standing is in society. One should be good at human relations and understand the importance of human values. If Kiara can learn this, everything else falls into place. This is what I am teaching her and this is in sync with what is being taught in the school.